Tag: des-moines

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While out smoking today, I came across a manhole cover with some stencil street art next to it. Not all that unusual. But the text is what made me laugh. It referenced something that I haven’t come into contact with in a while, other than TMNT figurines that sit at my coworkers desks.

Most of my coworkers are probably within 5-10 years in age from me, so we all grew up with the same shows, movies, and music. TNMT is one of the things I think at least 90% of my coworkers can identify with, which is fucking awesome, and that’s one of the many reason that I love my job.

This was on the North-East corner of Locust St. and E. 2nd Ave. It’s in/near the East Village area in Des Moines. Anyway, the text next to the manhole cover reads as follows:

Now Hiring:

Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles

Apply Inside

I took a few photos with my Nexus 4. They’re in the gallery below. Gotta view this as a single post before you can see the gallery though.

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Yesterday a man was shot and killed on an airplane in Miami when he claimed he had a bomb, due to heightened security from an airline terror alert, that much we all know.

But it is being reported by ABC that what caused the alert was a 50 year old Egyptian had been stopped in JFK Airport by the TSA in New York. His shoes were “suspicious” and tested positive for the explosive TATP in five separate tests. The tests revealed explosive residue on the interior of the shoe between the heel and sole. The Egyptian man was scheduled to board a flight to Des Moines Iowa where he claimed to be a student at Iowa State University in Ames. The man was detained overnight but released the next day before the FBI was notified or had a chance to speak with him. A nationwide search is now in effect for this man and it was this nationwide alert that caused the Miami Air Marshal to be in a heightened state of awareness when he shot and killed a man who claimed to have a bomb onboard a plane yesterday.

-The pieces of this story add up to some pretty scary stuff I you live here in Iowa:
-A 50 year old ISU student??
-Wearing shoes similar to those worn by shoe bomber Richard Reid
-The FBI was not informed
-Destined for Des Moines, Iowa

…and most frighteningly he is on the loose and his whereabouts unknown.

Ive seen this mentioned on only one blog on a technorati search, and just the ABC Exclusive article mentions it but it is something every Iowan at the very least should be aware of. More details may come in time. IrishWalsh told ya first.

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The last few weeks there’s been many commercials airing, urging voters to turn down a proposed city-owned telecom bill. I was all for it, being that we don’t have many good options for internet service here in Iowa. This should provide some more options eventually for Iowans.

Voters in 17 Iowa cities voted for the proposal, allowing cities to build their own telecommunications companies. This will really piss off Mediacom.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Voters in 17 cities are giving their local governments the right to form their own telecommunications company.

Supporters went to the polls Tuesday night and sent a message to companies like Mediacom and Qwest, which helped fund a $1 million campaign blitz against the measure.

Cities such as Dubuque, Mason City and Waterloo can now start their own cable, telephone and Internet systems and potentially charge less than other companies.

On the other hand, 15 cities voted against the the proposal. One of those cities being Nevada, where I usually reside. Nevada is currently served by Iowa Telecom for phone service, they’re our only option for non-voip phone service. Mediacom is the only cable provider. Both companies offer broadband, but Iowa Telecom’s is piss slow and Mediacom offers basically no upload speeds.

Residents of 32 Iowa communities delivered a split verdict Tuesday on whether their cities should seek a role offering cable television, Internet and other telecommunications services.

The proposal was defeated in Nevada and six other communities served by telephone company Iowa Telecom. “I think it shows that (voters) just took the time to research the issue,” company spokesman Dan Eness said. “They realized a municipally owned telecommunications utility was not in the best interest for them.”

OK Dan, you wouldn’t just say that simply because you’re an Iowa Telecom employee would you? Of course not. I should thank the Des Moines Register for getting thoughts from mostly Mediacom or Iowa Telecom employees, that’s super!

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Mike Pechar has a post at Conservative Thinking (also at Interested-Participant) speaking of towns banning sexual offenders. I had heard a little talk of this lately, but didn’t realize it was basically going on in my backyard.

The city of Des Moines is banning sex offenders from living within the city. Enforcement of the ordinance in Des Moines is set to begin this month. It makes me very happy to see this happening in Des Moines, instead of halfway across the country like is usually the case.

Finally, the nation has a reason other than primaries to watch Iowa. Head on over to Conservative Thinking and have a look.

It’s highly odd that I didn’t know about this going on in Des Moines. It’s sad that bloggers not even living in this state are able to inform me of this before my local media does. Mike Pechar (and Chris Short too) are obviously on-top of things a lot more than I am. The Des Moines Register has an article.